I'm taking your comments on the flyrise 2 post to task. in keeping w/ my belief of not over spending and getting little gain in return i'm now looking at these 2 reels. either seems like a good value. your thoughts on them? also, who has the best price to your knowledge ?,,,thanks!

Powderfinger, I've got 3 Ross reels including a CLA. I think it's a great reel, especially for the money. Made in the USA, lifetime guarantee (although lately there seems to be some difference of opinions on this forum as to the worth of a lifetime guarantee!), effective drag, and they just work really well. Nothing pretty, but a worthwhile reel for the price and one I'd definitely recommend.

I've never used a Lamson Konic or any Lamson reels, but a lot of people like them, including many members of this forum.

I have a couple of old Ross Gunnison reels and enjoy them. I have also been meaning to add a CLA but haven't gotten around to it.

As Duker said, the Lamson seems to be quite popular here but I want to get a CLA before they get changed again (Orvis) and like I said - I enjoy my Gunnisons. Same process as the Abel reels in manufacture although different design. Speaking of Abel - I really like the looks of their TR reel and then realized they look very similar to the Gunnisons, I'll stick with Ross for now.

first off, i love lamson reels, have a "few" of them
but in this case the ross is a better reel.
don't get me wrong, the konic is a great reel but the
cla is a machined, not pressure cast, reel and hence
has tighter tolerances and a better strength to weight
ratio.
you may wanna check the allen trout II reels.
solid reel for the coinTrout II Reel Series - Allen Fly Fishing Store

The CLA will be discontinued eventually for a new product. It could happen this year. It could happen in five years. An advantage for any Ross Reels USA models (not Ross Worldwide) is that replacement parts will be available if you need something replaced. If it is an easy fix that you can do yourself, Ross will send you the piece. If you would rather have Ross do the repair, send it to Ross. Also Ross makes a limited run of spare spools each year just in case you want to add a spare spool years down the road.

Dennis

Edit 5/17: I thought that I would clarify something. Waterworks/Lamson will continue to make parts for its reels for warranty issues. But as reels get discontinued, spools get discontinued. Sometimes the future generations of the same reel model shares spool compatibility, but beware. If you want a spare spool, get it while the reel is still current.

I jumped into this hobby equipped with a Konic. I think I even caught my first first fly fishing fish on this reel. most likely (a grayling).

Its a awesome reel, and I have no complaints other than its ugly as all hell. This reel never hooked me. Truth be told, it's one of my least fished reels in my inventory. As my fly fishing hobby developed, I stumbled down the slippery slope towards vintage reels.

I can't explain why, it's just something that happened. It just seemed natural at the time it all occurred.

I have lots of Ross Reels and two CLA's for clients. Most guides I know also use the CLA. They are work horse reels that will never wear out. The CLA is machined in Colorado and has an awesome warranty program to go with it. i had to send an Evo back to Ross and they fixed it for next to nothing. An Ross does everything in house, so if you need parts or spools later, they will have them.

As far the cheapest place to get them, I would check ebay. You can find them fairly inexpensive if you are willing to wait. There are some shops on ebay that will also thrown in free lines when you buy a reel.